This is to Mother You
by StangeInterests32
Summary: Evie, by far, had the most "loving" mother back on the Isle. But that doesn't mean she had it easy. There were still some softer emotions that even the Evil Queen was incapable of showing her daughter. Now, here in Auradon, thanks to a connection with a certain dwarf's son, she might finally feel what it's like to have a mother whose main concern isn't getting a mother-in-law wing.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: So this is a spiritual sequel/companion piece to "Sick Day". There was a mention in that story - near the end - where Evie mentioned that she and Doug's mother had gotten closer. Ever since then, ideas have been going through my head about the kind of relationship they might have, and then I said to myself why not explore that.

Please enjoy...

* * *

Evie was sitting at her vanity, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her dark blue hair was styled back, falling down to her shoulders. Her tiara was perched on top of her head, the light reflecting off certain parts, causing flecks of color to dance on it. Her make-up, as usual, was flawless. Her green, black, and blue dress was perfect. _She_ looked perfect.

And it terrified her.

What if it's too much, she thought. She considered at least going with a less bold lipstick color than blood red, her hands already reaching for a tissue.

"So, how do I look?" Mal's voice interrupted her before she could grab the tissue. Evie turned and looked at Mal who had finished getting ready for Family Day.

"Beautiful," Evie answered as she looked her friend up and down.

Since the festivities were more of a celebration than anything else, Evie talked Mal into a softer look than she was used to. Gone was the head to toe greens and purples done in combinations of denim and leather, studded and spiked to show off how tough and intimidating she could be.

Instead, Evie had found Mal a simple white, short-sleeved button up blouse that would match the blazer she'd made for her. The jacket was a vast departure for her friend who didn't know if she would be comfortable wearing the purple velvet with blue leather insert. In order for Mal to even agree to the combination, Evie had made a concession and made Mal's miniskirt out of the same material, though she made the skirt more blue than purple to really make the suit pop.

It was the shoes, a pair of black heels, which Mal had put up the most fight over. Of course, Evie won when she reminded Mal that Ben would be introducing her to his parents and she needed to look more appropriate when meeting the King and Queen.

"I think _I_ should change," Evie said as she looked back toward the mirror.

"Why? You look great," Mal told her as she put on the blazer.

"I think this dress might be too…I don't know…too _flashy_?"

"Yeah, but flashy is standard procedure for you. You're _Evie_ after all," Mal chuckled.

"Yeah, but, you're not the only one meeting parents today."

"Really?" Mal asked excitedly. "Doug wants you to meet his parents?"

Evie nodded. As much as that thought should've excited her too, it actually made her want to throw up. Quite frankly, the thought scared the hell out of her. His father was one of the seven dwarves – the people partially responsible for killing her mother the first time. Her mother was the Evil Queen – the person completely responsible for trying to kill their closest, dearest friend.

"They're gonna hate me," Evie said in apprehension.

"They are not going to hate you," Mal said to her.

"His father will definitely hate me," Evie reinforced. "All he'll be able to see is my mother. And oh God, _his_ mother," she panicked. Suddenly Evie felt a cold shiver run through her. Mal watched as her friend began to practically hyperventilate, her breath becoming labored.

"Evie, breathe," Mal told her as she rushed over to her. "Breathe Evie," she said again as she stood Evie up and placed her hands on Evie's shoulders, steadying her. "Look at me, E. You're going to be fine. Doug's parents are not going to hate you, and they're not going to compare you to your mother. You know why? Because you are not your mother," she comforted. "Now, you _don't_ have time to change, so you'll have to go with what you've already got on, pretty as it is."

Evie smiled, the first one in the past hour. "Fine," she accepted. "But…," she said as she leaned down to the vanity.

"What now?" Mal asked impatiently. She watched as Evie grabbed a tissue and began wiping off the red lipstick. She then replaced it with a more understated color.

"Okay, now we can go."

* * *

The grounds were packed with students and parents. The freshman students were showing their parents around. The upper classmen were busy filling in their parents on what had been going on lately. Evie guessed that she and her friends were a popular topic today judging by some of the stares they were getting. She tried to not look nervous, but inside she was feeling like thousands of butterflies were going crazy inside her stomach.

She had just finished watching Doug perform with Ben and some of the other boys and was waiting for him to come get her. Dude was busy fidgeting in her arms, probably wanting to be let down so he could run around, she thought.

"Evie," Doug said happily as he approached her. "How'd we sound?"

"Good, but I'm hurt you didn't tell me you could sing," she joked.

"Playing in the band isn't the only musical talent I have," he smiled.

As Evie saw that boyish smile cross his face, setting off the light in his eyes, she felt her knees become weak. He's so cute when he smiles, she thought giddily.

"Come on, my parents are waiting," he said. Evie swallowed hard and hoped no one could hear her gulp. She turned and handed Dude back to Carlos and let Doug take her hand and lead her away.

A few minutes later Doug brought her to a table near the gazebo where he and Ben had been performing. Seated at it were a couple that looked to be in their late thirties. The man was stocky and looked like if stood up he'd be just a few inches shorter than Doug's 5'9". She couldn't see his hair due to the flat cap he was wearing, but since she couldn't see sideburns, she assumed he was bald.

The woman was thin, not rail or sickly thin, but the kind that comes from taking care of oneself. Her hair was the same brown as Doug's, though her eyes were green instead of the same blue as her son's. So he gets his eyes from Dad, she thought. All in all, Doug's mother looked beautiful. Apparently catching the eye of beautiful women was a trait that father and son shared, Evie thought.

With each step Evie felt herself become more and more frightened. Mal's wrong, they're gonna hate me, she thought. She suddenly felt like was going to faint right where she was standing. She almost considered letting go of Doug's hand and running away. Before she could however, they had already reached the table.

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad," Doug said cheerfully. They both looked up and smiled at their son. They then rose and gave him a hug, his mother adding a kiss on the cheek, her lipstick staining it. "This is Evie," he introduced her. "Evie, this is my Dad, Dopy, and my Mom, Connie."

"It's…it's nice to meet you," Evie stuttered.

Dopy extended his hand. Evie slowly took it and shook it, his father giving her a big smile and a nod. She nodded slightly.

"Hi, Evie," Doug's mother told her, a warm smile on her face. She held out her hand and Evie took it. After a friendly shake, Connie let go and began examining Evie. Evie suddenly felt frightened. Oh my God, she's looking for flaws, Evie thought. I knew this was going to happen, she's trying to find a reason to hate me.

"Doug, you said she was beautiful, but you were being modest," she told her son with a grin. She turned back toward Evie. "Sweetheart, you are gorgeous."

Evie couldn't help but smile, genuinely though she was still a little nervous. "Thank you Mrs. -"

"Call me Connie, honey," Connie told her as she led Evie to their table. Soon the four of them, with the exception of Evie, were talking while they ate. "You're not hungry, Evie?"

"I am, but apparently the King and Queen want to have lunch with me and my friends, so…," she trailed off, feeling very awkward over not eating with Doug's family.

"How fancy," Connie replied dismissively. Evie immediately slouched a little, something she never did. "Well the, Evie, if you can't eat lunch with us, then I insist that you join us for dinner later. Other than that, Doug tells us that you're from the Isle of the Lost?"

"Um, yes…yes ma'am."

"Must have been quite the culture shock coming to Auradon then? All the expectation to be good. Wasn't too difficult to adjust was it?"

"No, not really."

"Not really?"

Against her better judgment, Evie told Doug's parents about what happened with Chad when she first arrived. Evie could see it in Connie face, she was not pleased to hear about her doing Chad's homework. But her expression turned to sympathy when Doug told her about Chad trying to get Evie expelled.

"I've always said that boy was nothing but a spoiled brat. Honestly Doug, sometimes I question who you call friends," Connie said bluntly. Immediately Evie felt like she was being lumped into that statement since, while being very nice and polite, Connie was making her feel like she was judging everything that Evie said or did.

Before anymore could be said, Evie's phone chirped. She checked her message and then looked at Doug. He nodded.

"I'm so sorry, but that was my friend, Mal. Apparently they're almost done playing croquet, so she'd like me to start heading over."

"Then you shouldn't keep them waiting," Connie told Evie. Evie leaned over and gave Doug a quick kiss on the cheek and then said bye to his parents. She smiled when Dopy smiled at her. So Doug gets that smile from dear old Dad, she realized.

"Evie, Sweetheart," Connie called after her as she started to walk away. Evie turned and waited for the you're not good enough for my son speech. "If I came across as a little critical, I'm sorry. I just like to make sure that my son is dating a _nice_ girl."

Evie nodded and began waking to meet up with her friends. Oh my God, she hates me, Evie thought.

Back at the table, Connie noticed the defeated look on her son's face. "What's wrong, Doug?"

"Well I was hoping that you would like Evie, but -"

"And what makes you think I don't like her?" Connie interrupted him.

"Well, it just didn't seem like you two hit it off," Doug answered her.

"Did you like her, honey?" Connie asked her husband. Dopy nodded with a big smile. "She was as beautiful as you said. She seems every bit as smart as you made her out to be. She's polite, well-spoken – the right amount of nervous for meeting the parents for the first time – all in all, I think that meet went smashingly. I like her for you," Connie explained cheerfully.

Doug breathed a sigh of relief. I can't wait to tell Evie, he thought.

* * *

Evie was sitting alone in her dorm room, Mal having gone who knows where to be alone with herself. She was sad and angry over what happened earlier. She was sad because up until the whole Chad incident, Family Day had been going so well. It seemed like King Beast and Queen Belle were really making the effort to try and be accepting. In fact, she and Belle seemed to be getting along. Then Queen Leah had to lose it with Mal; giving Chad a chance to swoop in and give a spectacular show of hatred.

She was angry because everyone seemed to placing the blame on her and her friends. It was as if their mere presence was to blame for causing both royals to lash out. But what really hurt was the fact that some of the people they had started to consider friends had apparently chosen sides. In Jane's case it seemed to be intentional.

But then there was Doug. Evie had thought that at least Doug would try and help her. But he'd let himself get bullied into towing the royal party line by Chad. That actually broke her heart.

She was so upset that she skipped the dinner invitation from Doug's mother just so she wouldn't have to see him. But that had caused him to call and text all night. Now as she laid on her bed, doing her best to focus on the plan that had been finalized for stealing the wand, she heard her phone vibrating again on her bed.

She picked it up and read the message.

 _Doug: Evie, Im sorry for earlier. I get u dont want to talk to me, but…my mother wants to talk to u. Give her a call please._

Seconds later, before she could toss her phone to the side, it vibrated again. This time the message was a phone number. Evie considered just putting her phone away and trying to sleep, but…a nagging voice told her to make the call.

"Hello," Evie heard on the other end after considering not waiting for the ringing to stop and hanging up.

"Connie? It's Evie, Doug said you wanted to talk to me?" she asked nervously.

"How are you doing, sweetie?"

"Huh?"

"How are you doing?" Connie repeated. "I saw what happened with Chad and Queen Leah. I wanted to see how you were doing right then, but…but you'd run off. And you skipped dinner. So how are you doing? Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?"

Not particularly, she thought. Yet despite her reluctance, she began telling Doug's mother about the thoughts going through her head. Before she knew it, she was crying uncontrollably, tears gushing from her eyes, her voice almost too difficult to understand. On her end, Connie was crying as well, not to the same scale as Evie, but enough that Evie felt like someone was not only listening to her, but actually sympathizing with her. It was a catharsis she hadn't ever known before.

This poor girl, thought Connie as she listened to Evie let out the pressures of the day. She remembered Doug telling her that Evie was much smarter than she gave herself credit for, but as she listened, she realized that Evie was also much more emotional than she knew.

"Evie, Sweetie, I want you to know that Chad Charming is the last person you should be listening to, do you understand me?"

Evie nodded. "Uh-huh," she whimpered when she remembered that Connie couldn't see her.

"You are not a cheater, or anything else he says. _You_ , are a smart, caring, beautiful girl, and that's what you should tell yourself whenever Chad, or someone like him, tries to tell you otherwise."

"You don't know that," Evie said.

"Yes I do. You know how?" Connie said emphatically. She continued when Evie didn't respond. "I know because of Doug. I know my son and the type of person he is and the type of people he likes to have around him. If he wants to be with you, then you have to be a good person. And don't let what happened with him after the Chad thing affect the two of you. And I'll talk to him and remind him that he needs to remember what, and who, is more important when it comes to listening to his friends."

"Thank you," Evie said, her voice sounding more normal, though it was obvious that she was still crying.

"And Sweetie, if you need anything, please feel free to call me, okay?"

"Okay," Evie answered her.

"Goodnight, Sweetheart, get some rest."

"Yes, ma'am," Evie said, nodding her head and actually smiling for the first time since what happened with Chad.

* * *

The coronation was over. Maleficent had been defeated. Everyone was celebrating and it looked like they would be well into the night. Everyone except Evie. Despite the pleas from her friends to stay, she decided that she'd had enough excitement for one day. She congratulated Ben and wished him luck. She said goodnight to Mal, Jay, and Carlos. And before she left, she found Doug, told him that she forgave him, laid a kiss on him that left him speechless and blushing, and said she'd talk to him the next day on the picnic he was taking her on. When he asked what picnic, she simply smiled and told him to have fun planning.

She had just entered the dorm hall and, before heading upstairs, she leaned against the first floor stair railing and removed her heels. "Much better," she said to herself as she felt the soft carpet against her feet. She made her way down the hallway, taking note of how quiet it actually felt. During the day, it was still quiet, but there was the occasional sound of passing footsteps, or a stray conversation to break up the silence.

But tonight, she was positive she was the only one in any of the rooms. She entered her room and turned on the lamp by her bed since she still wasn't ready to flood the room with light. She threw her bag on the bed and took off her dress. After hanging it up, she changed into a pair of baggy sleep pants and a simple T-shirt. She knew her mother would pitch a fit if she was to see her such an unflattering ensemble, but after the day she'd just had, Evie didn't care. She just wanted to be comfortable, style be damned.

A few minutes later, she made her way onto her bed, wiping off the last of her make-up. Now the day felt truly over and done with to the blue-haired teen. She grabbed her phone, not really expecting any messages since everyone who would contact her was at the coronation with her, and still there now.

She became surprised when she saw she had several messages from of all people, Doug's mother.

 _Connie: I'm watching the coronation on TV. Are you & your friends okay?_

 _Connie: I'm so glad you're okay._

 _Connie: Your decision makes me so happy. See, I told you that you were a good person._

 _Connie: Call me tomorrow, Sweetheart. Bye._

Evie smiled as she read the last text. There was even a small tear in her eye. She considered calling right now, but she didn't know if Connie was asleep yet or not. Deciding that tomorrow _was_ best, despite how much she wanted to talk to Connie, she just plugged in her phone and was about to go to bed when her hand paused at the lamp.

Without a second thought, Evie grabbed her phone and changed the name on her contact list from "Connie" to "Doug's Mom" and then laid her head for some much needed beauty sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"I just don't see why Doug can't just sneak away for a little bit to spend some time with me today?" Evie complained as she and Mal headed back to their dorm room.

"Because the band has a really big competition tomorrow, and in case you forgot, your boyfriend is _in_ the band," Mal told her friend with a chuckle.

"I know, but that doesn't mean he has to be at practice _all_ the time," Evie reasoned. "I mean we've barely spent any time together at all this week. I just figured with today being Friday, _and_ a half-day that the band director would let them go."

"E, the competition is tomorrow, I think he wants to squeeze in as much practice as he can," Mal defended the band director.

"I guess," Evie huffed.

The two girls made their way to their dorm room, threw their stuff onto the floor, and then crashed onto their beds.

"What should we do since we don't have any more class?" Evie asked as she sat cross-legged on her bed.

Mal shrugged her shoulders. "Want to see what the boys are doing?"

"Well since I don't have a boyfriend to hang out with right now, sure."

Mal rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone. As she was starting to text, they heard a knock on the door. Evie got up to answer it, becoming shocked at who was on the other end. "Connie," Evie exclaimed.

"Hi, Evie, how are you doing?"

"Um, I'm okay," Evie responded, still not sure what to make about this unexpected visit.

"Can I come in?" Connie asked after Evie stood silent for a moment.

"Yes, sure…I mean yes, ma'am," Evie stuttered, finally remembering how much Doug's mother stressed the use of manners.

" _Ma'am_?" Evie heard Mal say from the closet with a chuckle as she started looking for a different jacket. "Since when do you – oh, we have company," Mal stopped and corrected herself upon seeing a strange woman entering their room.

"Mal, this is Connie, Doug's mother," Evie introduce as Connie made her way toward Mal.

"Hello Mrs…Mrs. _Dopy_?" Mal greeted, unsure what to call the mother of her friend's boyfriend.

"That'll work," Connie smiled as she shook Mal's hand.

"What are you doing here?" Evie asked as she moved toward her bed and kicked a stray skirt under her bed. She reminded herself to give that skirt back to Mal later, and ask why her clothes were on this side of the room since she liked to keep her side clean.

"I'm here to see you, honey."

"Me?" Evie asked, the same nerves she had on Family Day coming back.

Connie nodded. "We haven't spent much time together, so I thought I'd get here a day early and we could spend the day together since I knew you had a half day," Connie smiled. "Unless you had other plans?"

She wants to spend the day together, Evie thought, well, that's…unexpected. Ever since Family Day and the coronation, she and Connie had been texting and, occasionally, talking. They had gotten a little closer, but Evie never thought that this would happen. Back on the Isle…this had _never_ happened.

"Evie has nothing planned," Mal cut in as she went to sit on her bed.

"Great, then we spend the whole day together," Connie smiled excitedly.

"But I thought we were meeting up with Jay and Carlos," Evie tried.

Mal held up her phone and waved it. "They're in a meeting with the tourney team. Won't be done for an hour." The sheer tone of Mal's voice let the blue-haired teen know that her friend was lying.

"Would you like to come too, then?" Connie offered. "I love meeting Doug's friends."

"I would love to, but I'm meeting up with my boyfriend, thank you so much, though," Mal said, way too chipper for Evie's taste.

"Maybe another time. But for now, Evie, shall we?" Connie said as she politely motioned for the door.

Evie nodded slowly. "Just let me get my purse."

* * *

Evie and Connie were finishing up lunch at a small Mom and Pop diner that Connie knew about. The outing had started out a little awkward, but as lunch went on, Evie found herself becoming quite relaxed. Soon she was acting like being out with her boyfriend's mother was the most natural thing in the world.

"So how have you and Doug been doing?" Connie asked as she pushed away her plate.

"Good, though these past two weeks have been a little stressful."

"The band competition?"

Evie nodded her head. "All the extra practices the band director's making then do means less time to see each other," she said sadly.

"Awe, Sweetie," Connie sympathized. "If it helps, Doug feels the same." Evie looked at her questioningly. "Me and Doug talk, too. He complains about the practices taking up so much of his time, and believe me, he misses spending time with you."

"I hope they win, then I can have my boyfriend back," Evie pouted, then started giggling. "What?" Evie asked when she saw Connie staring at her with a bemused little grin.

"When we met, you didn't smile that much. Nerves?" Evie nodded. "Right now, I finally got to see the smile that Doug goes on and on about, and he's right, it does light up your face."

Evie felt herself blush. "Thank you. I'm just glad my mother isn't here to see it." Now it was Connie looking at Evie questioningly. "My mother was constantly telling me to not laugh or smile unless I wanted a face full of ugly wrinkles."

"Trust me, Evie, nothing could make you look ugly." Once again Evie felt herself blushing from the compliment. Connie then checked her watch and saw that it was still very early in the afternoon. "Would you like some dessert, or would you rather have a girl's day of shopping and pampering?" Connie asked Evie.

"The dessert, since it's all I can afford," Evie answered.

Connie chuckled. "Sweetie, you aren't paying for a thing today. It's all my treat."

* * *

"You almost done, Sweetie?" Connie asked as she waited in the chair outside the dressing room of the dress shop they'd stepped into after lunch. This was the seventh or eighth dress that Evie had tried on in the past hour. At least Connie assumed it was the seventh or eighth, honestly, she knew she lost count as she was trying on a few things herself.

Without a reply, the door to the dressing room opened and Evie walked out wearing a dark blue, long-sleeved wrap dress. Evie stepped in front of the mirror and began looking herself over. As much as she liked the dress, she became a little concerned over what Connie would think about the length and neckline.

"And once again, you look beautiful," Connie commented as she took in the sight of the sixteen year old.

"You don't think it's too much?"

"Too much what?" Connie asked her.

"I don't know," Evie mused as she turned to see the back of the dress. "You don't think it's maybe…too short? Too low cut?" she inquired as she looked at Connie through the mirror.

Connie shook her head. "Not really. The neckline's not that revealing. And as far as the length? If I had your legs, I'd wear that too," she said, getting a smile and small giggle out of her son's girlfriend. "What about you? Do you like it?"

Evie nodded her. "My mother would have a fit if she saw it though."

"Why?"

"Princesses should be demure and never reveal too much if they don't want people to think they're nothing but a common tramp," Evie said, deepening her voice slightly to impersonate her mother.

"Was she that strict?" Connie asked, surprised.

"More like she was trying to make sure that I was proper enough to attract a prince's eye."

"Sweetie," Connie said as she motioned for Evie to sit on the chair next to her. "Before I ask, let me tell you, you are under no obligation to answer but…did you have a good relationship with your mother?"

Evie sat still for a moment. She didn't know what to do or say. This was the first time anyone had ever asked her that. She figured people just assumed that since her mother was a villain that she was a bad mom as well. That she was probably as bad as Maleficent.

"Compared to most of the other parents on the Isle, my mother was…I know she loved me. I mean, when Mal's mother pretty much banished us, she made sure I was okay, that I ate, that I was comfortable."

"You two were all you had?" Connie asked gently.

Evie nodded.

"Unlike the other kids, I didn't get to hang out with anyone my own age for years. It was just the two of us. So she spent time making sure to teach me to be a proper princess. She kept telling me it was for my own good, that way if I ever got off the Isle, that I could land myself a prince and live like I should."

"And just what makes a 'proper princess'?" Connie wanted to know.

"The hair, the make-up – clothes that don't scream skank," Evie joked. Connie gave her a small smile. "Plus, she made me learn how to cook, and clean, and sew, and –"

"Housework?" Evie nodded. "Your do know that princesses don't actually do their own housework?"

"I know that now," Evie replied. "Now, at least, I think she really did kind of lose her grip on reality a little after a while. But still, she was my mom, and…I love her."

Connie smiled at Evie. We should all hope to have a daughter like this, she thought as she listened to Evie. It was clear that Evie loved her mother, faults and all. "Well, regardless of what others might think, or say, of her, it's nice to hear you have such good things to say about her."

"Thank you. Most people just look at me weird, like I should hate her or something."

"What have I told you about listening to what other people say or think about you, sweetie?" Connie pressed.

" _Don't_ listen to them," Evie answered.

"That's my girl," Connie told her. Evie heard that and felt a swell of pride go through her. She liked knowing that someone, other than Doug or her friends, felt like she mattered to them. Not that a few others hadn't tried to make the same attempts that Connie was, but…the ones that did always felt like they belonged to someone else first. Like Belle did with Mal. Or Fairy Godmother with Carlos. Or Coach Jenkins with Jay.

But with Connie, she felt like she came first, or second since she knew Doug would always come first to her. But after their talk, she realized that Connie didn't just care because she was Doug's girlfriend. She genuinely did care. And if being second meant that she could maybe start to feel like she mattered to someone, then maybe that wasn't such a bad spot to be in.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I know I said the updates for my other stories would come as fast as I could put them together. A new post in one day isn't too likely since I had the bulk of this chapter already written and just needed to finish and edit it. That being said, I want to thank one of the reviewers on my story "Becoming Sisters", the name was evieismyhero. I kind of took the compliment you gave Evie in that review and used it here because I could see a mother saying about her daughter, especially one like Evie.

Please enjoy…

* * *

"Are you sure this is such a good idea?" Evie asked as she sat in Doug's car as he drove them to his parent's house in the Enchanted Forest. "I mean, I don't really know your family that well."

"What are you talking about? You know my family," Doug answered her.

"I know your Mom and Dad, and a few of your cousins that go to Auradon Prep. But this is going to be your _whole_ family," she explained to him.

"Yeah, but the ones you know like you, so the others will too."

"You're parents like me," she said.

"Actually, my Mom _loves_ you," he corrected her. "Told me so herself." Evie tried not to look like she was smiling at that piece of information, but Doug could see the curving of her lips. He knew that his mother had taken a liking to Evie, and that she made efforts, all on her own, to get to know his girlfriend. It made him happy to see that since this was the first time she had ever really done so for any girl he dated.

"Okay, but your cousins still act like I'm some evil girl from the Isle."

"No they don't," Doug disagreed.

Evie turned and shot him a look. "Really?" she asked, her voice sounding like she'd been challenged. "Last week, when I went to take some chicken soup to your cousin, Selma, she acted like I was trying to poison her. And your other cousin, Gordon, he was visiting her while I was there, and he started hiding her jewelry like I was going to steal it," she pouted. "Face it, you, your Mom, and your Dad are the only ones who like me."

"Gordon's a lot like his Dad," Doug said in order to explain his cousin's behavior. "He and Uncle Grumpy aren't comfortable around new people. So, they just need to get to know you," he added.

"And Selma?"

Doug searched for an answer that would assuage her nerves. He felt bad when he couldn't come up with anything that she would believe. He wanted to make her feel like there was nothing to justify what she was feeling, but he also didn't want to mislead her.

"Doug?" she pressed when he didn't say anything. So, despite knowing that it might hurt the situation, he decided to speak the truth anyway.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Evie," he began. "Selma, like a few other members of my family, are a little wary of you still," he told her. He saw the look of sadness come over her face and wanted to just run his fingers through her hair to start calming her since he knew that always worked. "That's why Mom told me to bring you this weekend, so they could get to know you. So please, give this this a chance. For me?" he asked as he turned to look at her.

Evie wanted to tell him, as a joke, to not tell her what to do, but one look at those green eyes behind those glasses of his, and she totally melted. Why does he have to be so freaking adorable when he's practically begging, she thought.

"Okay, fine, I'll make the attempt – for you," she smiled. Doug smiled at her and took her hand. The rest of the drive was made with their hands connected, Doug's other hand on the wheel.

* * *

Doug and Evie pulled up in front of his parent's house. Doug's family lived in the actual Enchanted Forrest but their home was anything but some typical cabin. They lived in a two-story cottage that was built out of a combination of stone and wood. It had a wraparound porch with a wicker bench next to the front door. On the porch steps were small potted plants on each end that made the steps seem more welcoming. To Evie, the whole exterior looked like something she once saw in a brochure for a resort.

"Doug, Evie," Connie said as she opened the door. She came rushing down the stairs as the two teens made their way toward the porch. She threw her arms around the both of the, hugging them tightly. "Oh, it's so good to see you," she said as she gave Doug a kiss on the cheek and then stepped back to look at Evie. "I swear, you get more beautiful every time I see you, Evie," Connie complimented.

"Thank you, Connie," Evie replied, surprised to find herself blushing.

Connie helped them get their bags out of the car and ushered them into the house. "Honey, the kids are here," she called out to her husband. Evie looked at Doug and smiled at the sound of Connie calling her one of the kids.

Once they were in the house Evie started looking around. The room they were in was an open foyer with some stairs directly in front of the door leading to the second floor. Off to the right was the living room which was decorated in a very simple yet stylish way. None of the furniture looked expensive, in fact some it even looked handmade. From where she stood Evie could see that there were pictures all over the wall. While she couldn't see the subject of every photo, she was certain that most of them were of Doug and his parents, while the others were of the rest of his extended family.

To the left was the dining room, which had a medium-sized, cozy looking table that she envisioned being the setting for many family dinners, both immediate and extended.

"The whole family doesn't fit in there do they?" Evie asked.

"God, no," Connie answered with a laugh. "We'd need a small – or maybe a large – banquet hall to fit the entire family. The anniversary dinner is going to be outside."

Before Evie could say anything, Dopey came out from the back of the house. He was wiping his hands which looked like they had been covered in some kind of black soot. He smiled when he saw Doug and Evie and waved at them. He then came over and was about to hug his son when Connie stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder and a small smile. "Not until you wash those hands."

Dopey looked down at his hands and nodded with a cute smile. He left toward the back of the foyer and went through a door that Evie saw led to a small hallway.

"While he's washing up, I'll help you two upstairs," Connie said as she led the two of them upstairs. Once there she stopped in front of the second door they came to. "Doug, Sweetie, you'll stay in your room and Evie, I have you in the one at the end of the hall," she informed them as Doug nodded and went into his room. Evie looked at Connie with a bemused expression. "Evie, I love you, Sweetheart, but do you really think that I was going to let my teenage son and his girlfriend _share_ a room?" Connie asked with a knowing smile.

"Probably not," Evie answered slowly.

"Just like Doug said, beautiful _and_ smart," she chuckled as Evie followed her toward her room for the weekend.

* * *

Later that evening Evie was in the kitchen, helping Connie wash the dishes after dinner. As they spoke, Evie once again found herself enjoying the time with Connie. It was almost like being with her mother back on the Isle, except Connie wasn't harping and criticizing that she wasn't getting the dishes clean enough, that they weren't dry enough, that no prince will tolerate a dirty home.

"You are an amazing cook, Connie," Evie said as she helped her put away the last of the dishes into the cupboards.

"Thank you, Sweetheart," she told Evie smiling. "Doug says you're not too bad yourself."

"I did mention that my mother taught me a few things."

"I know, but I've never gotten to taste your cooking, so all I have to go on is what Doug tells us," Connie remarked. Then, her face lit up like a light bulb had gone off. "You know, to minimize the work of cooking for so many people, tomorrow's dinner is going to be one big potluck. How about you make something?" Connie noticed that Evie's expression had turned to one of hesitation. "What?"

Evie began telling Connie the reservations she had about being there that weekend – the same ones she'd shared with Doug. "What if they refuse to eat it just because I made it? Or they think I did something to it?"

Connie wrapped her arm around the teenage girl and pulled her into a sideways hug. "Sweetheart, first, I really doubt that any of them would think you are trying to poison us. And second, how about if we didn't tell them at first? We'll just put whatever you make out there, and if they like it, then we'll tell them. That sound good?"

Evie thought about it and decided that Connie's suggestion didn't sound too bad. And she wanted to do something nice for her after all the things she'd done, like being so nice and accepting of her. "I guess we could do that."

"Awesome," Connie celebrated, leaning over and giving Evie a motherly kiss on her head. "Who what do you want to make?"

Evie thought about it for a second and then said, "Meatballs wouldn't take too much work or time."

Connie grinned and then cocked her head toward the door leading to the garage. As they were leaving Connie grabbed her cell and began sending Doug and Dopey a text. Evie heard her talking out loud as she typed. "Evie and I are going to the grocery store. Be back later."

* * *

The backyard was alive with the largest family Evie had ever seen. She estimated that there had to be over fifty people in attendance. And every one of them was making her nervous. Some had just cast the occasional glance in her direction. Others had greeted her. But no one really paid her too much attention as she sat alone at one of the tables. That freaked her out because she didn't know if that was because they knew who she was and were keeping their distance or they were busy catching up with each other and waiting to talk to her. Either way, she was scared to find out what would happen once they realized who she was.

"You don't need to be nervous," she heard Doug say to her as he came up behind her, a cup of punch for both of them in his hands.

She took one of them and took a quick drink. "Everybody's staring at me, and then ignoring me after making a comment to whomever they _are_ talking to," she told him.

"They're probably staring because you look beautiful," he complimented her, hoping it would calm her a little. She didn't say anything, but he saw a small smile crease her lips for a second.

"Thank you," she said softly and then turned to hug herself to his arm. She leaned up and kissed him quickly on the lips.

"There you two are," they heard Connie's voice from behind them. They turned and saw her walking toward them. She was smiling as she sat down with them. "I have been looking everywhere for you – especially you Evie," she said. "I've been mingling, and well, Evie, everybody who's tried them, loves your meatballs," she told her.

"Really?" Evie asked, the revelation making her feel just a small bit better.

Connie nodded. "Even Grumpy cracked a smile when eating them."

"Whoa, that's not easy to make happen," Doug said.

"I've been getting asked if I know who brought them. I told them I'd tell them during the main dinner," Connie told Evie.

"Excuse me, Connie," came the voice of a man who leaned down to tap Connie on the shoulder. He looked slightly older than Doug's father. He was also much rounder and looked like his face was glowing as big as his dimpled cheeks would allow.

"Happy," Connie greeted as she turned her head up and gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek. "How are you?"

"Good…mostly."

"Mostly?" Connie questioned.

"Well…," Happy trailed off as he leaned in closer. He began whispering in Connie's ear, every now and then looking up and over at Evie. She grabbed Doug's hand, immediately becoming worried.

"Happy, you need to calm down," Connie said.

"So it's true? She's the daughter of the Evil Queen?" he asked in reference to Evie.

"Yes, but –" Connie began. Before she could finish however, Happy had already begun walking away.

"Oh God," Evie gasped.

"Sweetheart, calm down, everything's okay," Connie tried to reassure her. "I'm gonna be right back."

Connie then got up from the table and started walking in the direction that Happy left in. Evie and Doug watched her leave, Evie feeling very nervous. "This is gonna be bad, isn't it?" Evie asked her boyfriend.

"I'm sure everything is going to be alright," Doug said, hoping he wasn't wrong.

The next few minutes were nerve wracking for Evie. She tried to stay calm, and for the most part, she was succeeding, but it was clear to Doug that she was probably envisioning the worst case scenario. He put his arm around her and hoped that she calmed down as he held her. Unfortunately, he could feel her shaking slightly. All of a sudden, Selma, Sleepy's daughter came up to their table.

"Doug – hey Evie," she said, greeting Evie more cheerfully than Evie thought she ever would. "Doug, I think you need to come inside," she told him, a worried look on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She looked back toward the house and flinched slightly. "There's a…problem. It's about Evie."

"Oh God, I knew it," Evie sighed.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Doug tried to assuage her fears. She looked back at him, her brown eyes looking full of trepidation. "Can you stay with her?" he asked his cousin. Selma nodded.

"No, I'm coming with you," Evie said.

"It might be best if you stayed here," Selma informed her.

"No, I need to face this, terrifying as it is," Evie said.

She and Doug got up and began walking toward the house. They could see a small group of people gathered around the doors that led from the backyard and into the kitchen. As they worked their way through that crowd, several of the people, all of them Doug's relatives, looked at her. Some looked impassive. Some looked at her and smiled – awkwardly and genuinely. A few looked at her like the students at school did when she first arrived – like she didn't belong there.

As they entered the kitchen, they could see Doug's mother and father and two or three of his uncles and a few of his aunts. They could also hear raised voices. They aren't shouting, just raised, Evie told herself.

"She shouldn't be here," she heard someone say as she and Doug hung by the doors, just a step or two inside and in front of the watching family members, all of whom now looked back and forth between the arguing family members, and her.

"And give me one good reason why not?" Evie heard Connie say in opposition.

"Because she's a villain," she heard the same unidentified voice say. Doug however recognized the voice as his Uncle Sneezy.

"Evie is a teenage girl. A very sweet one," Connie defended. Evie felt a small, quick smile cross her face at the sound of Doug's mother coming to her defense.

"Right now probably," another family member, this one female – Doug's Aunt Molly, Grumpy's wife. "For all we know, she could just be trying to get back us for what happened to her mother."

"That is not what's going on."

"For all we know, she's just _like_ her mother," one of Doug's uncle's said. Since he said it through a yawn, Evie assumed it was Selma's father, Sleepy. She turned toward Selma, who looked positively embarrassed. Selma mouthed "I'm sorry" to her.

"All Evie is, is a sweet little cinnamon roll of a girl who does nothing but care about everyone else around her."

"Or…she's just bidding her time until she can poison us all. Just like her mother," came the accusation from of all people – Happy.

"I would never –" Evie started to say, stopping when everyone turned to look at her.

Now, the pairs of eyes involved in the argument were locked on her. The sudden feeling of being in the spotlight made her feel very uncomfortable, and instead of a heated blush, she felt all the blood rush out of her face and she felt herself become very cold. She was so caught off guard, that she almost didn't feel Doug take her hand.

"There she is," pointed out another of Doug's aunts. "Come to curse us?"

"Claire," Connie admonished.

Evie felt her eyes water and then ripped her hand away from Doug's and ran from the kitchen. She felt the tears start running down her face as she ran up the stairs and to her room. For Connie, that was the last straw. She cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. The act was made easier by the silence that had fallen over the room when Evie ran.

"I may not like how you all are judging Evie without knowing her, but I understand where it's coming from," she began as she looked at the relatives she'd just been arguing with, and then slightly turning to the rest of the family that had gathered. "But feelings of mistrust or not, this is _my_ home, and you do not speak to, or treat, a guest of mine like that."

"Connie, if you would just –" Sleepy began.

"I am not finished," Connie cut him off harshly, her face firm and her tone even firmer. Sleepy, and everyone else recoiled in fear. Connie wasn't the most imposing looking of women, but in a moment like this, where she was coming to the defense of her family, or someone she treated like family, everyone remembered that she was much more intimidating than she appeared. "That girl is my son's girlfriend. That girl is someone I and Dopy consider a friend. When you insult her, you might as well be insulting the three of us. Now despite the fact that all of you are family, I want you all to listen to me very carefully. I am going to go check on that girl who you just treated so poorly," she said the specific family members who she had been arguing with. "When I come back, those of you who said something bad about her, especially you," she pointed at her sister-in-law who accused Evie of wanting to curse them to her face. "I want you all out of my house. And you are not allowed back until you are ready to apologize to that young girl."

Connie then began walking out of the kitchen. But as she reached the doorway, she turned and once again addressed the gathered family.

"And for those of you who were concerned that she might be thinking of trying to poison us? Not only wouldn't she do it, but if she wanted to, she already ample opportunity. Those meatball appetizers you've been eating today? The ones you've all been raving about? Evie made them."

Connie then walked off before anyone could say anything to her. There was an uncomfortable silence in the room now that Connie had left and the argument had stopped. Everyone was looking around, some looking like they wanted to speak up, others like they wanted to leave for fear of Connie coming down on them. Others looked upset, realizing that what Connie had said was true. They had no proof that Evie was anything but a nice girl, like she'd proven herself at the coronation. They had just let their fears of her mother get the best of them.

"She took care of me," Selma said awkwardly, not realizing how loud her voice would sound in the din of the room. Everyone looked at her, wondering what she was talking about. "Last week – when I was sick – Evie took care of me. She'd stop by, bring me soup, ask if I needed anything. She picked up my class assignments. Took them back for me."

"And I'll bet she wanted something in return, right?" asked Doug's aunt who had been singled out by Connie just a moment ago, hoping to salvage her argument.

Selma shook her head. "Never even asked for a thank you. I felt bad because I know I kind of made her feel like I was afraid of her," Selma revealed. She then turned to Doug. "Considering that my Dad has to be one of the ones to leave, and I have to go with him, can you tell Evie I'm sorry for me?"

"Yeah," Doug nodded.

"Dopey, are you really gonna stand there and let Connie throw us out? I mean this is your house too, isn't it?" Sneezy asked through his congested voice. All eyes turned to Doug's father. Despite the rumors that surrounded his speaking abilities – that he never learned to talk, that he's never tried to, or that he didn't like to – the reality was that he was fine with being the most soft spoken of the family, speaking only when absolutely necessary. So as everyone was looking at him, he gathered his thought and…

"Connie lets me pretend I'm in charge most of the time. Really though…this is _her_ house. I got it for her. And Evie? She really is a sweet girl."

Most of the family was waiting for him to say more. His brother's knew he wouldn't. After all these years, they knew he was going to say something brief, and they were going to have to read between the lines of what he'd said. And knowing him like they did, they knew what he'd meant just now. He was going to back up his wife because he agreed with her. And more importantly, he was telling them that his wife's opinion of Evie, their son's girlfriend, extended to him as well. Nodding in acceptance, those that were arguing with Connie moments ago, began making their way out of the house, already deciding on whether or not they would apologize or not.

* * *

"Evie, Sweetheart," Connie said gently as she turned to look into Evie's room. What she saw nearly broke her heart. Evie was packing frantically, throwing and shoving her clothes into her bag without care if they were folded or not. She was sniffling and her cheeks were stained with tears and running make-up.

"Evie? What are you…?"

"I'm sorry, I…I can't stay here," she whimpered, throwing a blouse into her bag. "I've caused enough trouble."

"Sweetheart, you didn't cause anything," Connie said as she moved into the room and closer to Evie. "Besides, you can't just leave, Auradon is over three hours away, how are you going to get home?"

"I'll call Mal, she'll have Ben send a car…or…or the royal jet. Or maybe…," Evie started rambling. Connie grabbed Evie's hands, stopping her from continuing to pack and turned the young woman toward herself. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I ruined your anniversary," Evie started crying all over again. "I never should have come," she sobbed uncontrollably.

Connie immediately threw her arms around Evie and pulled her in, squeezing tightly until she felt the girl stop shaking. While the frantic shaking stopped, the wild and unruly sobbing continued. Connie just stood there, holding Evie, letting her cry, letting her get out all the events of the past few minutes. After a little bit of time had passed, Connie was able to get Evie to sit with her on the bed, their backs partially against the headboard, but Evie had curled herself into Connie like a scared little girl. One of Connie's arms was wrapped around Evie's shoulder, the hand of her other arm holding one of Evie's hands. Evie had her head leaned over, resting on Connie's shoulder. She had gotten Evie to stop crying so hard, though the young blue-nette was still sobbing weakly. She raised her forearm until she could reach Evie's head and began to stroke Evie's hair in a motherly way.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Sweetheart," Connie told her gently.

"But I made everyone so nervous, and I scared them just by being here," Evie responded sadly.

"Evie; that was not your fault. You are not responsible for the prejudices of the people out there. And honestly, I don't think this had anything to do with you. I think the members of this family who acted the way they did, did so because of some unresolved feeling about your mother. But since they don't have her here to confront, they took it out on you. And I am so sorry that happened, and that I didn't do a better job of protecting you from it."

"That's not _your_ fault," Evie said, trying assuage Connie's remorse like she had tried with her own. "You didn't know that would happen," Evie added, her voice starting to sound faraway.

"I thought it might," Connie reluctantly confessed. "But I was so sure that once they got to know you like I…like Dopey and I did, that they would love you just like we do – just like I do."

Connie became concerned when Evie didn't respond. She leaned her head over and looked down, and smiled softly. Evie had quietly fallen asleep. Connie slowly started unwrapping herself from Evie and as gently as she could, laid the girl down across the bed. Her upper body was now laying across the pillows, her legs out in front of her, making her look like she had just thrown herself into the bed and passed out instead of what actually transpired.

Connie smiled again, this time at how peaceful the girl looked as she slept. One look at her like this and no one would think that she was some potentially evil mastermind hell bent on revenge. Those few family members certainly wouldn't have made the accusations they did. They'd have seen her like Connie saw her, as a sweet, caring, beautiful young woman. She grabbed the throw blanket from the foot of the bed and softly covered Evie with it. She then leaned down and gave the sleeping teen a kiss on the head.

"Have a good sleep Evie," she whispered.

Connie then quietly started making her way out of the room. She was almost out when she heard Evie stir.

"Goodnight, Mom," Evie uttered sleepily and without opening her eyes, and then brought her arms up and under her head for support while she slept.

Connie felt a great swelling of emotion at those words. She didn't know if Evie knew what she was saying, or if she even meant to call her that. But she still couldn't deny that hearing Evie call her that made her happier than she could imagine. Even if she wasn't Evie's mother, she certainly felt like it sometimes with the way she doted on the girl, and the way she looked forward to their texts and phone calls. She always became anxiously happy at the thought of spending time with her. And if today proved anything, there was no denying that she protected Evie like she protected Doug when necessary.

Oh, how I really wish I was your mother, Sweetheart, she thought as closed the door as quietly as possible, hoping she could get the tears to stop before she got back downstairs.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Part of this chapter takes place during chapter 2 of "Sick Day" - just more from Evie's perspective - and a little bit between chapters 2 and 3 if it. Such a traumatic event shouldn't go unexplored in my opinion, especially since I mentioned that Evie was taking Mal's collapse so deeply.

I hope you like it, please enjoy...

* * *

Evie was searching different sites looking for inspiration for new dress designs. It wasn't the best use of her time since she was supposed to be looking up ways to look out for people who might want to do harm to someone else while online. She almost laughed at the idea. This is Auradon, she thought, no one here is going to try and harm anyone else. But still, she supposed a class called Safety Rules for the Internet had to justify its place on the curriculum. As she was looking at a site dedicated to all types of shoes she wished she could have, there was a knock on the classroom door. Everyone looked up and saw one of the school's aids at the door.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but I need to see Evie," he said.

The teacher looked over at her and nodded for her to go. She closed down her browser and got her things. She followed the aid who was keeping his gaze forward.

"Am I in trouble?" Evie asked nervously.

"No ma'am."

"Then where –"

"There's been an emergency ma'am, you'll be told the details where I take you," the aid told her. He said nothing more as he led Evie to her destination. Despite being told that she would be given some information, she felt even more nervous as she followed along.

Eventually she was led to the front of the school where a black luxury shuttle bus was waiting, idling in the circle driveway. The aid opened the sliding side door for her and, after a cautious second, she stepped inside. She was surprised to see Ben and his parents, Jay, and Carlos. She became worried when she saw the looks on their faces – sad, shocked, worried, and scared.

"Guys? What's wrong?" she asked as she sat in one of the revolving seats and turned it to face everybody.

"We're going to the hospital," Jay said after a long second.

"W-why?" Evie asked, her nerves beginning to act up.

"Because Mal is on her way there," Ben answered her. "She fainted in class."

Oh God, she thought.

* * *

"How is she?" Evie said as she entered the ER seconds after Ben did, Jay, Carlos, and Ben's parents on her heels.

"She's stable," Fairy Godmother told them all as they moved into the waiting room.

"Stable? What does that mean?" Evie asked, not satisfied with those two words. "Stable as in she's gonna be released soon? Or stable she's just not gonna die?"

"Evie," Jay admonished her, but she turned toward him, glaring at him.

"Mal collapsed, I just want to know what the hell 'stable' means to them."

"Evie, calm down," she heard Belle tell her gently, and then felt her hand settle on her shoulder.

Evie turned toward the Queen Mother, Belle's expression calm, but Evie could tell, she was probably just as, if not more, worried than herself. "But Belle," she tried before Belle silenced her with a patient finger to her lips.

"Let Fairy Godmother talk," she instructed, not just to Evie but to all of them. The group of teenagers quieted and turned toward the headmistress. "Go on."

"I heard the paramedics saying she had a high fever which they said needed to come down immediately. I gave what information I could about her medical history to help, but I just don't have it memorized. They managed to revive her long enough to ask her some questions, but she was too delirious to answer. Then she…she began vomiting and then passed out."

Oh God no, Evie thought as she struggled to not faint herself at the news of her friend in such a crisis.

The next series of events seemed to pass in a daze for Evie. Belle effectively forced the hospital to give her information on Mal and then disappeared to where they had her. The rest of them stayed behind, her mind involuntarily going to every worst case scenario she could imagine until she thought she'd need to bang her head against the wall to get it to stop.

Eventually Belle returned, intense worry written all over her face, and if Evie didn't know better, it looked like she'd been crying. She began crying herself as she listened to Belle tell her what the doctor had said. Immediately she felt Belle and Fairy Godmother wrap her in their arms. The gesture made her feel better, and she felt grateful that they were there for her, but she couldn't help but feel like it should be someone else telling her that everything would be alright. That Mal would be okay. That she didn't need to feel as afraid as she did.

After she had stopped crying, Belle began speaking.

"Listen, I need to ask you three something," Belle said as she stood in front of Jay, Carlos, and Evie. "We sent doctors over all the time for check-ups and new cases, anything people might need. They also gave vaccinations. Did Mal never get any of them?" The three villain kids looked back and forth between each other. "Well?" Belle prodded further.

"Mal told me that the only ones she had were the ones that the doctors told her mom were mandatory," Jay answered. "You know, the ones we were supposed to get as babies, and a few years after that."

Belle nodded, wanting to hear more. "But what about the ones like the yearly flu boosters?" Adam asked.

Evie shook her head. "They were voluntary. Since she wasn't being forced, Maleficent never made Mal take them, just told her to toughen up because she didn't want to be burdened with a sick kid."

"Oh my God," Evie heard Belle gasp.

"So you mean to tell me that Mal's never had a flu shot, ever?" Adam asked angrily. The three of them shook their head. "What about you three."

They all nodded.

"Mom used to tell me princes don't marry sick princesses," Evie answered.

"If I ever got sick Mom would've had to do her own housework, and she was not gonna let that happen, so she made me get them," Carlos added.

"Dad needed me healthy so I could steal stuff for him to sell in the shop," Jay finished.

"So at least they're covered," Belle said in relief. "But now I can tell the doctor why it hit her so hard." Evie watched as Fairy Godmother came and whispered something in Belle's ear and the Queen Mother nodded. "You all came over in August, the boosters are done in September, you three didn't get them yet did you?"

Jay and Carlos groaned while Evie just shook her head, rubbing at her arm at the thought of what they knew was coming. "Adam, can you and Fairy Godmother make sure they're covered while I go get started on having Mal's records copied over from the palace.

Her husband nodded. "Come on kids, let's get this over with."

* * *

Evie, Jay, and Carlos found themselves on the third floor of the hospital. It was where all the lab work was done and where the nurses decided it would be easiest to administer the flu shots once they got them from the pharmacy. Jay was in the room getting his shot. Carlos was sitting next to Evie, and unlike Jay, who was a little more stoic while they were waiting, Carlos was fidgeting on his seat. He wasn't a fan of needles and was dreading the idea of the shot. Evie was seated next to Adam, leaned over, her head on shoulder. She was staring out blankly, still feeling the shock of the whole situation.

The door to the room where they were getting the shots opened and Jay walked out. Evie and Carlos saw a flash of the small bandage on his right arm before he put on his jacket.

"Carlos, sweetie, you're up next," Fairy Godmother said gently from the door. He let out a sigh.

"Man up, it's just a shot," Jay told him as he fell into the chair next to Carlos. Carlos groaned, got up and made his way toward the room, albeit with a slight dragging of his feet.

"You'll be fine when it's your turn, you know that right, Evie?" Adam asked her softly. Evie nods mechanically. After a few seconds, Evie began to feel her stomach churn, and she suddenly felt an overwhelming urge of sickness come over her.

Without any indication to anyone, she suddenly shot up from her chair and made a mad dash for the nearest restrooms. Once inside she burst through the stall door and fell to her knees next to the toilet. The sound of her vomiting echoed inside the restroom. After she was done, she pulled her phone from her pocket and punched one of the speed dials.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up," she chanted as she listened to the ringing.

"Evie, Sweetheart, you should really be in class right now, shouldn't you?" came Connie's cheerful voice after she finally answered.

"I didn't know who else to call," Evie sobbed into the phone, the tears coming before she spoke.

"Evie, what's wrong?" Connie asked upon hearing the teenaged girl crying hysterically.

"It's Mal, she…she fainted…and she's here at the hospital…and I overheard one of the doctors saying they didn't know if she'd pull through…and –"

"Evie…Evie calm down," Connie implored her, trying not to cry at the tone of Evie sounding distressed. "Breath sweetie, you need to breathe." She heard loud inhalations from Evie's end and smiled at the way the girl listened to her. After listening to her for a second more, she finally spoke, hoping Evie was just a little more calm. "Okay, now what happened? You said Mal fainted."

"Uh-huh, in class," Evie choked out.

"And she's in the hospital?"

"Mmhm."

"Okay, are you there now?" Connie asked, thanking God that Evie was cooperating with her questions. She heard Evie once again agree. "Are you okay?"

"Connie, I'm…I'm scared. What if they're right and she doesn't…she's practically my sister."

"Evie, are you in there?" a loud booming voice – Adam's voice – said through the cracked door.

"I can't lose her," Evie began crying again.

"Sweetheart, you're not going to lose her," Connie tried to reassure her. "She's there in the hospital, she will be fine. In fact, I want you to try and keep it together okay, I'm…I'm on my way down there, alright?"

"Please hurry," Evie whimpered.

Evie hung up as she heard the door to the bathroom open and the sound of heels clicking on the tiled floor. There was a knock on the door to the stall she was in followed by a soft soothing voice.

"Evie, honey, are you okay?"

* * *

Evie was laying on the bed in the room Adam had shown her to when they got back from the hospital. She practically put her foot down that she didn't want to go back to her dorm room. That the sight of Mal's side not having her in it would be too much for her at the moment. So Adam relented and offered to let her stay at the palace. Evie was hesitant, but Adam insisted, telling her that Belle would have made the same offer. She was somewhat glad when he told her that she didn't need to finish out the school day after what had happened and they ended up making a quick stop at her dorm room so Evie could pick up some clothes and personal items for a couple of days. Once they were back at the palace, Adam showed Evie to a room and then, after letting her get settled, brought her something to eat for lunch.

That had been a little under two hours ago and Evie heard a light knock on the door. "Come in," she said softly, but just loud enough for her visitor to hear.

"Evie?" Adam asked gently as he peeked his head in. He saw that she was laying on her side, facing the wall, just staring out into space. "I just wanted to check in on you, see if you're doing alright."

"I'm fine," she answered softly, and a little too mechanically for Adam's taste. Poor thing must still be in a little bit of shock, he thought as he remembered how Fairy Godmother informed him of how she found Evie sitting on the floor of the women's restroom back at the hospital, crying her eyes out.

"You, uh…," he trailed off, not totally comfortable with the situation. He realized it had nothing to do with her being a villain child, and more to do with the fact that he was out of his depth, after all, he'd raised a son, not a daughter. Having to handle the emotional state she was in was new territory for him. Luckily, he thought, and said, "You have a visitor."

"I…I just want to be alone," Evie whimpered.

"Evie, Sweetheart," came a familiar voice. Evie turned toward the door and saw, standing next to Adam, was Connie. She jumped from the bed and practically ran to her.

"Mom," she sobbed as she began crying again, throwing her arms around Connie. She felt Connie's arms immediately envelope her.

"It's okay, honey, I'm here," Connie soothed the crying teen. She began to stroke Evie's hair to try and calm her down as she felt her shaking in her arms. She looked over at Adam and mouthed the words, "Thank you, I've got her." Adam nodded and took his leave of the two women.

Eventually Connie was able to calm Evie down enough to start talking about what was going on and get her to eat something finally. The two of them had moved to one of the many family rooms, sitting on the couch. Evie was curled up next to Connie who held the girl, doing her best to make her feel safe and calm despite how much she was freaking out.

"You know Mal is going to be okay, right?" she told the young girl.

"You didn't see her," Evie said in a small, frail voice. "Mal looked…she…"

"She is going to be fine, Evel –," Connie stopped suddenly and leaned over to look at Evie. "Evie is short for Evelyn, right?"

Evie nodded. "My mother likes to pronounce it as Evil-lyn," she chuckled, smiling for the first time since what happened.

"Evelyn sounds prettier."

"Thank you," Evie said, realizing that without even trying, Connie had somehow managed to, even for a fleeting second, take her mind off of what was happening to Mal.

"And Mal is going to be fine… _Evie_." The two of them let out a small laugh at the sound of her name's short form. Evie actually expected Connie to call her Evelyn and was kind of looking forward to it, but was fine with Evie. As the two of them sat together, in a few moments of silence, Evie enjoying the feeling of safety and stability that Connie's presence was giving her, Adam walked into the room.

Evie sat up, hoping he was bringing some news about Mal.

"I thought you might like to know that Belle just called me. She said that Mal's fever is finally coming down. She's going to pull through," he informed them. He watched as Evie let out a huge breath of relief, her body actually shaking from what he could only assume to be the stress and despair of the past few hours leaving her.

"Told you she'd be fine, didn't I?" Connie asked Evie with a nudge. Evie nodded. "See, you should always listen to your mother." Evie let out a small laugh, and then rested her head on Connie's shoulder, her eyes watering from the news that her best friend was going to be alright.

"Do you have to go now?" Evie asked sadly as she realized that with the crisis now over, Connie had no reason to stay.

"No, I can hang around for a couple of days, Sweetheart. Snow set me up with a room in the city."

"Don't bother, just stay here," Adam told her. Connie looked up at him slightly taken aback. "Evie obviously want you close by, the bedroom next to hers is empty. What do say Evie, should she just stay here?"

Evie sat up, her eyes brightening at the idea of spending a couple of days with Connie. She nodded quickly, making Connie giggle at the way she was now acting so hopeful compared to the depressed girl she was comforting just moments ago. "Please Connie?"

Connie looked between the former king and her surrogate daughter and, despite feeling like she was imposing – even though she was invited – she relented. "I suppose I can call Snow and let her know that I won't be needing that room."

"Yay," Evie celebrated.

"Evie, why don't you go and let Mrs. Potts know that there'll be an extra person for dinner tonight."

"No problem," Evie said getting up from the couch.

"Evie," Connie said as Evie started to walk off. Evie looked back at her, seeing the way she was looking at her expectedly. She was a little confused at the moment. "Evelyn," Connie said in what Evie liked to call her official "Mom voice", as she cocked an eyebrow and nodded her head in Adams's direction.

"Oh," Evie let out, finally realizing what Connie meant. "I mean, yes sir," she said to Adam. "Better?" she asked Connie.

"Much." Evie smiled and gave a small single nod and then left the room.

"Did you really get her to say 'yes sir'?" Adam asked astonished.

"She's a good kid. Actually has some of the most beautiful manners I've ever seen, but…she's a teenager, she sometimes forgets to use them, Your Highness."

Adam nodded in agreement. "Well, in any case, thank you for coming by. If I'm being honest, until you got here, I was struggling to handle the situation. If it had been her friends Carlos or Jay, I'd have been fine, but a teenage girl? Not my area of expertise."

"It's not that difficult. I may not have an actual daughter, but plenty of nieces, so, I've had practice."

Adam looked at her skeptically. "No daughters? I could have sworn I heard Evie call you Mom."

"We've gotten…close," she told him. "It's probably why she called me this morning."

"And why you came running."

"My girl needed me," she said after a few seconds of reflection, trying not to cry at the thought of Evie and her deepening the relationship between themselves.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: So, the last couple of chapters were really, _really_ heavy on the drama. For that reason, I decided to end on a much lighter note. Not that there isn't some drama, but this chapter just has way less of it, and a much happier ending. Also, in an effort to do something different, I did a little bit of a change of scenery…with the entire timeline. When you read how much forward I moved things, keep in mind that the majority of this story takes place while Evie was about 16 years old.

Please enjoy…

* * *

 _Eight years later…_

Connie was busying herself trying to figure out how she wanted to rearrange the furniture in the living room. Not that it needed it, but it had been a while since she'd changed the layout and she hated to let the rooms in the house get stagnant. It felt as if things were lazy to her. And if it was one thing she hated, it was things feeling lazy.

"I could move the couch from the center of the room to back against the wall opposite the window," she said to herself as she leaned against the doorframe of the room. "One chair adjacent, the other at an angle."

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by her phone ringing. She picked it up from the living room table next to the door, smiling when she saw the caller.

"Hi, Evie," she said cheerfully. "How are you?"

"Hi, Mom," Evie said, though Connie picked up on something.

"Are you okay, Sweetheart? You sound different."

"I'm…um, ah…I'm going to the hospital," Evie answered, sounding like she was trying to keep her voice normal.

"Now?" Connie gasped in shock.

"Uh-huh. I felt a little bit of pain earlier, then the contractions started a little while ago and haven't stopped this time," Evie told her, her voice now sounding labored and occasionally strained.

"But you aren't due for another month."

"Clearly not," Evie replied.

"Okay, um, is Doug with you?"

"He's taking me."

"Have you called anyone else?"

"Just you," Evie said.

"Okay, don't worry, I…I'll go ahead and call your friends and let them know. Me and Dopy are on our way too."

"Hurry," Evie said as she grunted in pain.

Connie heard the phone indicate that the Evie had hung up. Oh my God, she thought as she started making her way toward the backyard. "Dopy! Dopy!"

* * *

Connie and Dopy made their way into the hospital's ER. She was thankful that the registration window was open and practically ran toward it. "Excuse me, hi," she began, not realizing how out of breath she was from her run from the parking lot. "My son and daughter-in-law just came in here probably fifteen, twenty minutes ago. Can you tell me where they are back there?" she requested as she pointed to the treatment area.

"Name of the patient?" the nurse asked.

"Evie. You can't miss her; twenty-four years old, blue hair…massively pregnant."

"Mom," Doug's voice interrupted her. She turned and saw through the windows in the barrier doors as Doug was running up from inside the treatment area. The nurse hit the button on her end and the doors began to open. Connie and Dopy moved inside and immediately asked him how Evie was doing. "She's fine. We got here quick, but the doctors are prepping her for the OR," he informed them.

"They want to operate? But I thought she was gonna try for a natural birth?" Connie asked, her nerves starting to rise. Dopy looked just as concerned, but still remained quiet.

"The doctor thinks its best. Did you get in touch with Mal?"

Connie nodded. "Her and Ben were actually in Sherwood, so she told me they'd fire up the royal jet. They should be landing pretty soon."

"And I don't think the King and Queen are going to have to worry about traffic getting here," Doug added. Connie shook her head. "What about Jay and Lonnie, and Carlos and Jane?"

"Called them too, but obviously it's going to take them longer," Connie told him. "Back to Evie, do know how much longer she'll be. They were finishing up prepping her when I came out to see if you were here. They told me they weren't going to wait long to move her into the operating room, so…"

"They've probably already moved her," Connie finished for him. Doug nodded. Lord, please let them be okay, she thought.

* * *

Connie and Dopy, and Mal and Ben, along with Carlos and Jane, who had gotten there faster than normal since Jane decided to just use magic to teleport them there instead of doing the three hour drive, were sitting in the waiting room. Doug had gone to wait closer to the actual operating rooms so as to get any news about his wife sooner. They were mostly quiet, occasionally talking with each other, but mostly they were worrying about Evie.

"How much longer is this going to take?" Mal asked, frustrated at the time.

"Mal," Ben tried to calm her.

"They said with the C-section it was going to take an hour, it's been almost two and half," she replied.

"There was a complication," Connie reminded her. "I don't like it either, but there's nothing we can do about it but wait."

" _Nothing_? I'm going to make them tell me something," Mal said confidently as she got up from her chair.

"Mal, honey, you're not going to get the answers you want," Connie told her. Mal looked at her questioningly. "They only know what they've been told by the doctor or nurses."

"Then I'll tell them to get me one," she said.

"Mal, Evie's giving birth," Jane reminded her. "No doctor or nurse is going to just leave the room to answer a family member's question. Even if the person asking is the Queen."

"I just want to make sure my best friend is okay," Mal lamented.

Connie got up from her chair and went over and hugged Evie's best friend. "Honey, she's gonna be fine."

"You don't…"

"You're right, I don't. Not for certain. But I have faith that she will be. After all, underneath the emotional exterior she puts on, Evie's tougher than she looks."

Before Mal could respond, a nurse walked into the room. Everyone stood.

"Evie's husband asked me to tell you all that she's out of labor," the middle-aged woman informed them.

"And…?" Connie and Mal asked in unison.

"Her and the babies are alright."

There was a collective sigh in the room as everyone let out deep breaths of relief. There were a few hugs, and few whispered thank you's for answered prayers.

"When can we see them?" asked Dopy, shocking everyone with his voice.

"Right now, but we can only let you all in two at a time. And, the parents have actually asked that _their_ parents be the first," the nurse smiled. Connie and Dopy looked around the room. There were nods of approval. Connie looked at Mal, thinking maybe she should let the young Queen go first considering how worried she'd just been.

"Go ahead," Mal told her. "I need to call Belle and Adam to let them know. Adam especially," she smiled. "He became a nervous wreck when I told him Evie went into labor." Connie chuckled, happy to see that he was still protective of Evie after all these years.

"And we'll call everyone else," Jane said in reference to Carlos and herself. She looked to her husband and they both began following the nurse back to the room Evie had been moved into.

Once there, they slowly looked into it, seeing Doug and Evie laying in an extra wide hospital bed so that they could be together for the moment. Connie felt her eyes start to water at the sight of the two of them, a baby in each of their arms.

"Mom, Dad," Doug greeted when he noticed them.

"Hi," Evie said to them softly, the toll of childbirth still making her feel somewhat weak. "Do you want to come say hello to your grandchildren?" she offered. Connie and Dopy moved into the room and next to the bed. Each baby was bundled up to keep them warm. Right now their eyes were still opening and closing as they drifted in and out of sleep as their parents held them. "Say hello to, Ethan and Delilah," Evie introduced as she let Connie lift little Delilah out of her arms and into hers. Doug, likewise, handed Ethan to his father.

"Oh my God, they're so beautiful," Dopy said, getting a glance from Doug, but Evie understanding that one of them had to say it, and Connie at the moment was not going to be able to due to the tears running from her eyes.

"Hi, baby," she sobbed as she looked down at her granddaughter. "You look as beautiful as your mother." The baby cooed softly before opening her eyes. Connie noticed the small tufts of brown hair on Delilah's head and looked over at Dopy. "Bald for the moment?" she asked her husband. Dopy nodded.

"Yeah, we're thinking he's gonna be the one to get the blue hair," Doug said, deciphering what his parents were thinking.

"How are you feeling, Sweetheart?" Connied asked Evie.

"Exhausted," Evie answered. "And a little scared." Connie laughed.

"I was a little scared too when I had Doug," she told Evie as she realized that Evie was still having the same doubts she'd been having her entire pregnancy over what kind of mother she'd be considering how she was raised. "That'll pass though. And I'll be here if you need anything" she added as she looked down again to admire the sleeping baby in her arms. "Like I've been telling you this entire time, Sweetheart, You're going to be an amazing mother," she reassured Evie with a glowing smile.

"Thanks, Mom."

The End


End file.
